Method of making bracelets



Jam, 24, 195$ R. 1.. WELLS METHOD OF MAKING BRACELETS 2 Shee'ts-Sheet 1 Filed May 26, 1944 Jan. 24, 19% R. I... WELLS 2,4955% METHOD OF MAKING BRACELETS Filed May 26, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 atented Jan. 24, 1950 METHOD OF MAKING BRACELETS Raymond L. Wells, Attleboro, Mass, assignor to Wells Manufacturing Company,

Attleboro,

Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application May 26, 1944, Serial No. 537,470

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to methods of making bracelets, and more particularly watch bracelets.

An object of the invention is to provide a new and improved method of assembling bracelet links. Other and further objects will be explained hereinafter and. will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention will now be explained in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is an elevation of a bracelet that may be manufactured according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section, upon a larger scale, taken upon the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 3 is a section similar to Fig. 2, with the parts in relatively different positions; Fig. 4 is a perspective of a center member, prior to assembly, but incomplete at this time, as the right-hand end is shown open; Fig. 5 is a perspective of a spring; Fig. 6 is a perspective of a one-piece U-shaped sheet-metal shell member formed with internally recessed arms and adapted to be assembled with the center member shown in Fig. 4; Fig. '7 is a perspective showing the spring of Fig. 5, inserted in the part shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 8 is a perspective showing the parts of Fig. 7 assembled with the part of the bracelet link shown in Fig. 6; and Fig. 9 is a perspective showing a further step in the method.

The bracelet shown in Fig. 1 comprises an intermediately disposed identification link 2, a link 4 disposed at each end thereof, and further links 5, terminating in links 8 for attachment to a watch or other element (not shown).

Each link 5 comprises four metal members. One of the metal members comprises a substantially planar parallelepiped-shaped metal-plate shell member 3, with open bottom and top. Prior to its completion into the form of a parallelopiped, it is of U-shaped, as shown by full lines in Fig. 6. The oppositely disposed arms or walls of the U are shown at 6, connected together by a transversely disposed neck portion 30. Channels 33 are disposed substantially throughout the lengths of the arms 6, along their oppositely disposed inner faces.

The second metal member comprises a scored or otherwise ornamented center member 1. When completed, as shown in Fig. 9, this center member I may also be in the form of a parallelepiped with open bottom and top. It may be made by first folding a resilient strip into U-shape, as illustrated in Fig. 4, along a line 28 a little to one side of a point midway between the ends of the strip, thus providin it with inner and outer arms or walls 23 and 24 of different length projecting from the transverse line of fold 28; and then bending the free end of the longer outer arm or wall 24, as a projecting lip 32, from the position of Figs. '7 and 8, transversely over against and into contact with the tip at the free end of the inner or shorter arm or wall 23, as shown in Fig. 9. The transverse line of fold near the bent-over or hookshaped lip 32 is thus caused to constitute one of the end walls of this parallelopiped, and the transversely disposed neck wall 28 disposed opposite thereto the other end wall.

The third member of each link is constituted of a compression spring 26.

A post or bar 3| constitutes the fourth member of each link. It may be electrically soldered or welded in the channels 33,. across the open end of the U of the shell member 3, between the free ends of its arms 6, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 6. The post or bar 3| completes the parallelopiped of the shell member 3, providing it with a planar opening bounded by one of the arms 6, the neck 30, the other arm 6 and the bar 30.

The compression spring 26 is housed within the parallelopiped-shaped center member 1. One end of the spring 26 engages against the end wall 28 of the center member I, and the other end against the neck 3|! of the member 3. The spring 26 maintains the center member I normally in retracted position between the arms 6 of the member 3, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The center member 1 may, however, be moved slidably outward, between the arms 6, in opposition to the action of the spring 26, as shown in Fig. 3.

The parallelepiped-shaped center member I may thus, for the purpose of expanding and contracting the bracelet, travel back and forth slidably across the length of the U-shaped member 3, between the neck 30 and the bar 3|, in the beforedescribed substantially plane opening bounded by the arms 6, the end wall 30, and the bar 3|. This slidable movement of the center member 1, however, is controlled by the spring 26. The spring 23 yieldingly opposes the slidable movement of the center member I, and will return it to its original position. The slidable movement of the center member I is guided, during its slidable movement between the arms 6 of the U, by lugs 29 of the center member I projecting integrally outward beyond the ends of the neck 28 of the center member 1 into the channels 33 of the respective arms 6, to slide therein. The lugs '29 also prevent relative twisting of the members 3 and I of the link 5 during such back-and-forth travel.

A number of such links 5 may be assembled into a bracelet by snapping the bent-over lip 32 of one link 5 over the bar CH of another link 5.

Accordin to the present invention, the bracelet link may be assembled by first inserting the compression spring 28 in the folded sheet-metal-strip center member 7 between its walls 23 and 24, as shown in Fig. 7, and mounting the folded strip 7, with the spring 25 therein, over the neck 30 of the previously formed one-piece U-shaped sheetmetal shell member 3, and slidably interlocked between its arms 6, internally recessed at.33, as before described. Upon the bar 3| being then fastened between the free ends of the arms Gin any desired manner, as by electric soldering, the folded strip 1 and the spring 26 therein will become enclosed between these arms 6.

Modifications will occur to persons skilled in the art and all such are considered to fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A method of making a bracelet link that comprises folding a resilient sheet-metal strip along a line a little to one side of a point midway between the ends of the strip to provide the strip with an end wall at the line of fold and two walls of different length projecting from the end wall, inserting a compression spring in the folded strip between its walls of different length, forming a 4 one-piece U-shaped sheet-metal member with a neck and internally recessed arms, mounting the folded strip with the spring therein over the neck and slidably interlocked between the arms with the ends of the spring engaging against the neck and the end wall in order yieldingly to oppose the slidable movement of the folded strip, fastening a bar between the free ends of the arms to enclose the folded strip and the spring therein between the arms, and bending the free end of the longer wall transversely over against and into contact with the free end of the shorter wall to provide a lip that may be snapped over the bar of the one-piece member of another link.

RAYMOND L. WELLS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATESv PATENTS Number Name Date 1,197,889 Allen Sept. 12, 1916 1,184,391 Smith May 23, 1916 1,207,366 Bryner Dec. 5, 1916 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 168,192 Great Britain Mar. 17, 1921 

